


【東南コンビ】Short Stories

by aphuong



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drama & Romance, F/M, Historical Hetalia, Sexual Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-08-27 05:30:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 16,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16696348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aphuong/pseuds/aphuong
Summary: /In the end, we lost our voices. The difference between infatuation and love was merely a second of hesitation before you stabbed me./ A collection of loosely connected ThaiViet short stories. Themes: historical, drama, romance, humor, angst, and hurt/comfort.





	1. Introduction

The incentive for me to write these short stories began from a comment I saw on YouTube.

"ThaiViet doesn't make sense; Thailand and Vietnam never interacted in history. A/Vietnam or Thailand/B is better since they did have connection through history."

According to what I've seen, this sentence has been said by at least three fans from three different ships. So I decided to write several short stories - some on the shared history between Thailand and Vietnam, some on random ideas that I had in my head (2P!ThaiViet, 2P!Southeast Asia, for instance).

For the introduction, I will simply say a few things.

1\. Considering formal diplomatic relations (***their interactions apart from the wars***), Vietnam (Dai Viet) and Thailand (Siam) already had a good relationship during King Gia Long and King Minh Mạng's reigns in the beginning of the nineteenth century. King Gia Long helped Siamese troops in their battles against the Burmese, and Siam also protected him, helped him ascend to the throne in his country and establish the Nguyen Dynasty. Therefore, King Gia Long, just moments before his death, had told his court that his nation must retain good relations with Siam (1).

Therefore, afterwards, when Myanmar asked Vietnam to form an alliance to beat Thailand in 1824, she downright refused since she did not want to upset Thailand (2). When his King passed away, her King dismissed the court for 3 days to express his grievances (3).

(1) (2) Woodside, Alexander. Vietnam and the Chinese Model: A Comparative Study of Vietnamese and Chinese Government in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century. Boston: Harvard University Asia Center, 1988.  
(3) Dương Duy Bằng. "Vietnam-Cambodia-Siam relations in the 1802-1834 period" (Quan hệ giữa Việt Nam - Campuchia - Xiêm giai đoạn 1802-1834). Southeast Asian Studies. 4/2006. 18-26.

2\. On the "connection" meaning the wars between Thailand and Vietnam, I will give you a brief list to search online.

1\. Dai Viet-Lan Xang war (1478-1480): It doesn't have a Wikipedia article in English, but its existence has been proven by the paper The Ming factor and the Emergence of the Viet in the 15th century and the book series Chronicle of Ming (which detailed on historical events occurring in China and its neighbors during the Ming Dynasty). And they both mentioned the involvement of Lan Na and Ayutthaya.  
2\. Siamese-Vietnamese war (1718).  
3\. Siamese-Vietnamese war (1771-1772).  
4\. Siamese-Vietnamese war (1833-1834).  
5\. Siamese-Vietnamese war (1841-1845).  
6\. Dai Viet-Siam War (1785).  
7\. Vietnamese border raids in Thailand.

There were in reality at least 13 wars in total. The relationship between Thailand and Vietnam in history cannot be summarized in a few simple pages. A scholar could write a book about it.

If you love a pairing other than ThaiViet, it's fine. However, please do not be hostile.


	2. Why Cambodia and Laos hate ThaiViet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thai-Viet relations in history determined the stability (or lack thereof) of the mainland Southeast Asia region. Though Thailand and Vietnam rarely fought, when they did, they had to fight in other people's houses.

Short Story 1: Why Cambodia and Laos hate ThaiViet  
Themes: Historical, Humor.

.

Thai-Viet relations in history determined the stability of the mainland Southeast Asia for a simple reason: though Thailand and Vietnam rarely fought, when they did, they had to fight in other people's houses.

1\. Thailand's first impression of Vietnam was not good at all. In the fifteenth century, Vietnam came to Laos' house and beat him to a bloody pulp. Thailand heard Laos' shout for help, looked through the window and saw an unfamiliar girl who was wrecking havoc in the neighborhood. Fearing that she would come for him next, he barged straight into Laos' house.

"Who the fuck are you?" Vietnam widened her eyes.

"You don't need to know."

Then, he swung his sword, beat her with the help of Laos and sent her back to her country. So angry that she was defeated by a random guy in the West, she wrote in her history accounts that she had beaten both Laos and Thailand.

2\. However, despite bad first impressions, in the beginning of the nineteenth century, Thai-Viet relations "suddenly" skyrocketed thanks to the good relationship between their kings. At that time, Thailand had control over Cambodia, but due to his king's goodwill, Vietnam blatantly used Cambodia's house as if it was her own house.

"Why do you keep visiting Cambodia?" Thailand bristled.

"Hey, we are good friends. Shouldn't good friends share everything? Monopolizing Cambodia is not nice."

/Friends my ass/, Thailand thought, /women are all greedy creatures/. But since he was busy fighting against Burma, he ignored her and waited for the right time.

When Burma became involved in war against Mr. Eyebrows, Thailand was finally free to conquer Laos and Cambodia and wage war against Vietnam (out of convenience, of course). Angry at the fact that he had gotten Laos before she could, Vietnam pushed Thailand to Cambodia's house.

"This is for taking what is mine!"

And then, she mounted him, making him unable to walk afterwards, and brought Cambodia back to her house. From then on, their good bilateral relationship was over. He had Laos; she had Cambodia; they became next-door neighbors but never attempted to converse with each other. There was rumor that Thailand suffered from nightmare for a short period of time, but no one knew the truth.

3\. Ten years later, fed up with the horrible way Vietnam treated him, Cambodia ran away from her house. Seizing the opportunity, Thailand welcomed Cambodia by kidnapping him. Cambodia soon realized that Thailand was as terrible a caregiver as Vietnam, so he asked for Vietnam's help again. Thus, Vietnam went to Cambodia's house and fought against Thailand again.

The fight prolonged, but this time, Thailand already had experience so Vietnam could not be the one on top. In the end, they agreed to share Cambodia.

"Whose house will Cambodia live in, then?" Vietnam asked.

"Mine, of course." Thailand nonchalantly replied.

"A weakling like you won't take good care of him."

"You didn't manage to top this weakling just moments ago."

Her face reddened due to anger. "So whose house?"

Thailand rubbed his chin, appearing to be lost in thought. After a while, he said.

"We can move in under one roof and take care of Cambodia together."

Cambodia's curses could be heard from behind.

"Sounds good." Vietnam nodded.

They reached mutual agreement. When she turned away, she felt as if there was a ghost of a smile on Thailand's lips, but she ignored it and tied Cambodia with a rope. Cambodia's profanities still echoed till these days.

And those were the three times they fought in other people's houses.


	3. Why mainland Southeast Asia dislike ThaiViet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Themes: Historical, Humor.
> 
> If Thailand and Vietnam ever fell in love, all of mainland Southeast Asian countries would disapprove.

If Thailand and Vietnam ever fell in love, all of mainland Southeast Asian countries would disapprove.

.

.

1\. Cambodia and Laos would be the first to object. Although Thailand and Vietnam rarely fought, they would almost always fight in Laos and Cambodia's houses when they did. (see previous chapter)

Why did Thailand and Vietnam even wage war against each other in the first place, anyways? For the right to "take care of" Laos and Cambodia, of course. It is uncertain whether they are good caretakers or not, but Cambodia seemed to be so discontent that he ran away from Vietnam's house after 10 years under her roof. Unfortunately, Thailand was an even worse parent than Vietnam. In the end, after calling for Vietnam's help, Cambodia ended up staying with *both* of the terrible caregivers.

Unfortunate as Cambodia was, Laos faced an even worse fate. Not only did Laos have to endure both multiple wars against Thailand and Vietnam, he was also messed around with by Vietnam.

As the story went, in the beginning of the nineteenth century, when Thailand came to Laos' house and beat him up, Laos managed to sneak away to Vietnam's place.

"I know that we've had conflicts in the past (in which you were always the bully – Laos mumbled), but can you help me fight against Thailand?"

Vietnam stared at Laos' bloody figure, quietly comparing between Thailand and Laos to see who was bigger- she meant, stronger. Finally deciding that Thailand was stronger, she ignored Laos' pleas, conveniently stole some of Laos' provinces from Thailand in secret, and left the rest of Laos to Thailand.

Due to the above reasons, when France set his foot on Southeast Asia, both Cambodia and Laos insisted on staying with France in order to hide from Thailand and Vietnam.

France: "You stay with me, and I will protect you from the Siamese and the Viet."

Laos: "Fair deal. I shall be loyal to you."

Thailand: "Laos, come back to me-"

Laos: "Get out!"

If Thailand and Vietnam became a couple, Cambodia and Laos would avoid them as much as possible, just in case Thailand and Vietnam wanted to "adopt some children".

.

.

2\. Right after Cambodia and Laos, Malaysia would be a strong opponent, since she never forgot her personal grudge against this pair.

Her disdain for Thailand, her northern neighbor, stemmed from his invasions in history. Under Thailand's pressure, before becoming Portugal's colony in 1511, she had to ask China for help to protect herself from the Siamese.

However, with Vietnam – a country who rarely talked, every attack from her was unexpected.

In 1469, when a ship of Malaysian envoys was on its way from China to home, Vietnam ordered her men to sink the ship and asked China for permission to conquer Malaysia (Malacca). Upon hearing the news, Malaysia was outraged, but she didn't dare to do anything since she still thought that Vietnam was China's "sister".

Lucky for Malaysia, China was still sensible.

"How are you even going to conquer Malaysia?" The old man in the north raised his eyebrows at Vietnam. "You have countries blocking your way: Champa in the South and Laos in the West. Such conquest is out of the question!"

Unable to convince him otherwise, Vietnam returned home with an unreadable expression. Two years later, she successfully invaded Champa. Seven years after that, she defeated Laos. When the news reached China, he sweat dropped and wrote Vietnam a letter, forcing her to withdraw her troops and apologize, but she ignored him and continued her fight. Only after Thailand had become involved in the war and beaten her senseless was she willing to come home.

In 1481, realizing the tangible threat from Vietnam, Malaysia asked China if she could take revenge were Vietnam to attack her. China, already biased toward the rich and beautiful Malacca and tired of his sister's misbehaviors, accepted the request. From then on, Vietnam made no further attempt.

Nonetheless, nowadays, Malaysia was still wary when Thailand and Vietnam wandered near her house. If these two formed a pair, Malaysia would probably not be able to sleep at night.

.

.

3\. The last one to oppose among the aforementioned countries would be Burma (Myanmar).

The reason for Burma's distaste for ThaiViet is not wariness: Burma is strong enough to be indifferent to Thailand or Vietnam's strength. He won against Mongol (1301) and China (1765–69), used to be an empire in Southeast Asia, and could win against them if he fought them separately.

Indeed, Burma had won against Thailand multiple times. They fought like cats and dogs. Having been stabbed by Thailand in the back before, Burma considered Thailand to be a pain in the neck.

With Vietnam, though, it was a different story.

In 1824, Vietnam's boat reached the land near Burma's house. Seeing someone from afar, Burma ordered his men to arrest her, planning to hit that person if he or she turned out to be Thailand. However, when he realized that it was an unfamiliar nation, he froze.

"I am Dai Viet." Vietnam gave him a cold stare.

Dai Viet. Burma did not know her, but he definitely knew a nation (with the same name) currently in a "complicated" relationship with Thailand. In the beginning of the nineteenth century, bilateral relations between Thailand and Vietnam flourished. Seeing her could give him a good chance to teach Thailand a lesson.

"Viet," He grinned. "Do you want to form an alliance to wage war against Siam?"

Vietnam was startled by the offer, but Burma only bribed her with jewels and let her go back to her country, saying that he would wait for her answer.

That offer made Vietnam uneasy. If she did not manage to attack Thailand successfully, the Thai man would have an excuse to break their "bilateral ties" and take Laos and Cambodia away from her. It would ruin everything.

It was not that she cared about Thailand's well-being or anything. Just that, Laos and Cambodia must belong to her!

Therefore, she was obliged to turn down Burma's offer, saying that she wanted to preserve good relations with Thailand.

Not understanding her underlying reason, from then on, Burma suspected that Vietnam harbored a one-sided love for Thailand. That suspicion was further reinforced when he heard the news that Vietnam topped Thailand right in Cambodia's house…

Vietnam and Burma had no reason to hate each other, but if she became a couple with Thailand, what would guarantee against a Thai-Viet alliance against him? Thus, Burma disliked Vietnam and ThaiViet.


	4. The Strongest Person in the House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Themes: Historical, Humor.
> 
> The time when Thailand and 3 other mainland Southeast Asian countries ganged up to beat Vietnam up.

The time when Thailand and 3 other mainland Southeast Asian countries ganged up to beat Vietnam up.

.

.

As the very familiar story went, from 1478 to 1480, Vietnam went to Laos' house to manhandle him. Thailand, worrying that she would invade him next, also dashed to Laos' place to help the poor country defeat Vietnam. The fight between Vietnam and Laos and Thailand were reaching its peak when –BAM. Vietnam was knocked out from behind and fell onto the floor.

Thailand raised his eyebrows at the sudden attack. From the place where Vietnam previously stood, Myanmar and Malaysia emerged.

"Malaysia, Myanmar." Thailand greeted calmly, not willing to drop his sword yet while Laos' jaw dropped. "What are you two doing here?"

"Teaching Vietnam a lesson." Myanmar brushed off blood from his sleeves. "I can't just stand around and watch her mess around in this region."

"She sank my ship one decade ago and intented on conquering me. I haven't forgotten that." Malaysia remarked contemptuously while stepping ahead and seizing the paddle from Vietnam's hand.

"She actually did that?" Thailand shuffled closer to prop Vietnam up. No girl deserved to be ganged up on by four people, even if she was as strong (and dangerous) as Vietnam.

"Turning my envoys into slaves, looking down on me! She thinks that she can do anything since she's China's little sister!" Malaysia furiously exclaimed.

Laos, having been a victim of Vietnam's aggressiveness, nodded incessantly. "Thailand, haven't you heard of the times she won against the Mongol Empire and conquered Champa?"

Thailand flinched, but his arms only held Vietnam closer. Even Myanmar seemed to be surprised. He had defeated Mongolia once with difficulty, so he knew how hard it was to win against the Mongol.

"Vietnam had left China's house and joined our region for merely five centuries, right?" Myanmar rubbed his chin. "And yet she's already this confrontational. She'll probably cause more chaos in the future."

For a while, the four countries remained silent and sank into their own thoughts.

Laos, bordering Vietnam in the west, would be the most frequent victim of the girl.

Thailand would be the next to be dominated if Vietnam succeeded in subjugating Laos.

Malaysia didn't even talk to the girl once, and yet, her safety was already threatened.

Myanmar wouldn't be too happy if his northern neighbors were bullied by a conceited girl.

No one said anything, but all had started to worry about their seemingly gloomy future.

Finally, it took a long time for Myanmar to break the silence.

"... Unrelated, but I, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam are all here." Myanmar commented. "What about Cambodia? I remember seeing him everywhere I went. Why am I not seeing him now?"

"Yeah, I have the same question too." Malaysia added. "Two centuries ago, he was still the empire in the region. Everyone is afraid of him. Why has he been missing lately?"

Thailand blinked when Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar turned to him. Vietnam was still unconscious in his arms.

Not having any other choice, he smiled and responded.

"I just beat Cambodia up a few years ago, ana." He said casually. "Maybe he's still healing, so he cannot walk around freely yet."

Myanmar: "…"

Laos: "…"

Malaysia: "…"

Thailand: "… What's wrong?"

Myanmar: "Do you know that you've beaten an empire?"

Thailand: "..."

Myanmar: "..."

Thailand: "Really? I got so used to winning him that I didn't really pay attention."

Myanmar: "…"

Laos: "…"

Malaysia: "…"

A silent comparison was quickly established. While Cambodia was once the Khmer Empire ruling mainland Southeast Asia in several centuries, Thailand was a late comer, only officially establishing his countries two centuries ago. Yet, at the moment, Thailand was already strong enough to bully Cambodia.

In a very felicitously-timed fashion, Malaysia recalled how she had to seek help from China to protect herself from Siamese invasions lately.

Laos and Myanmar too realized that they lived right next to Thailand's house, and that if Thailand could beat Cambodia and Vietnam, he could also threaten the two.

Without saying a word, the three countries became aware that the one who could mess around with mainland Southeast Asia could also be Thailand, not just Vietnam.

Thailand didn't utter a word when Laos kicked him out of the house and Myanmar and Malaysia urgently went home. Only after the three countries had disappeared did he drop his nonchalant facade.

"There isn't any way to hide my conflicts with Cambodia from them, is there?"

After that, he smirked and carried Vietnam back to her house.

Not until a long time later did the rest of the countries realize that Thailand at that time was considered to be the "strongest power in Southeast Asia" (*). Which meant, the *most* dangerous person in Laos' house at that time was supposed to be Thailand, not Vietnam.

Oh, but did that really matter anyways? Wasn't messing around with each other a normal activity to countries in the mainland Southeast Asia region?

.

.

Notes:

(*) This comment was reserved for Ayutthaya (one of the three ancient Thai kingdoms in the fifteenth century). The opinion belongs to Barbara Leitch LePoer (Thailand: A Country Study), Kenneth Barrett (A Geek in Thailand), and Andrew Forbes (DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Thailand's Beaches & Islands).

1\. The assembling of Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Laos against Vietnam was recorded in history as the Đại Việt – Lan Xang War (1478-1480). The Chronicle of Ming (Chinese records) noted that Đại Việt (Vietnam) initially waged war against Lan Xang and Muang Phuan (two Lao ancient kingdoms), but later got repelled by the alliance of Lan Xang, Lan Na (ancient Thai kingdom), and Ava (ancient Burmese kingdom). The book Viet Nam: Borderless Histories (New Perspectives in SE Asian Studies) written by Anthony Reid and Nhung Tuyet Tran also pointed out that Malacca (Malaysia) participated in the aforementioned war and won against the Viet.

2\. "She sank my ship one decade ago and even wanted to conquer me. I haven't forgotten that." (Malaysia) = Malaysia was referring to the time when Vietnam ordered her men to sink the Malaysian envoys' ship in 1469 and asked China for permission to conquer Malacca.

3\. "I just beat Cambodia up a few years ago, ana." (Thailand) = Thailand made a reference to the Siamese invasion of Cambodia in 1473, which occurred just 5 years before Vietnam's invasion of Laos. He wasn't particularly wrong when he said that he had "gotten used to" winning Cambodia, since he had beaten the other guy in 1352-1353, 1431 and 1444 before.


	5. Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar's relationships in history, simply (and inappropriately) explained.

Short Story 5: Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam  
Themes: Historical, Humor.

.  
.

Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar's relationships in history, simply (and inappropriately) explained:

1\. Thailand and Vietnam:

Robs the other - *beats each other to a bloody pulp* (1718)

Intervenes in the other's governmental affair - *beats each other to a bloody pulp* (1718, 1771)

Gets into the other's house illegally and gets bloodthirsty - *beats each other to a bloody pulp* (1784)

"Happens" to be on the opposite sides - *beats each other to a bloody pulp* (1893, 1940, 1965, 1982)

Thailand: "Cambodia, Laos, and some… other countries, belong to me."

Vietnam: "Bitch please."

\- *beats each other to a bloody pulp* (1313, 1478, 1833, 1841)

.

2\. Myanmar and Thailand:

Myanmar: "You belong to me."

Thailand: "Bitch please."

\- *beats each other to a bloody pulp* (1547)

Myanmar: "You belong to me."

Thailand: "Bitch please."

\- *beats each other to a bloody pulp* (1563)

Myanmar: "You belong to me."

Thailand: "Bitch please."

\- *beats each other to a bloody pulp* (1568)

Myanmar: "You belong to-"

Thailand: "Are you nuts!? Give me back my vital regions!"

\- *beats each other to a bloody pulp* (1584)

(repeats the aforementioned conversations for countless times until the twentieth century)

.

3\. Myanmar and Vietnam:

Myanmar: "... Fighting on my own is so tiresome. Vietnam, let's conquer Thailand together."

Vietnam: "No." (1824)

Myanmar: "I shall conquer Thailand alone then."

Vietnam: "Only I can beat Thailand, bastard!" - *helps Thailand beat Myanmar to a bloody pulp* (*)

Vietnam also did the same thing to Malaysia when Malaysia invaded Thailand, but this was another story. Yet, ironically, just 9 years after she refused Myanmar, Vietnam knocked Thailand senseless because he dared to take Cambodia and Laos from her.

.

\- end -

.

(*) Vietnam declined Myanmar's offer of alliance against Siam (Thailand) in 1824 (1). The Vietnamese troops of Nguyễn Ánh – later Emperor Gia Long – also helped Siam defeat Burmese and Malaysian troops when they were in Bangkok (2).

(1) according to Alexander Woodside, "Vietnam and the Chinese Model: A Comparative Study of Vietnamese and Chinese Government in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century" (p. 239), Boston: Harvard University Asia Center, 1988.

(2) According to Trần Trọng Kim, Outline History of Vietnam (p.428), the 2010 edition.


	6. Old Souls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For those who had been alive for hundreds or thousands of years, a year passed in the blink of an eye. Fifty years were half a life for humans, but for nations, those years merely represented the morning after never-ending nightmares.

Short Story 6: Old Souls (How Nations Perceive Time)  
Themes: Historical, Angst, Hurt/Comfort.

.  
.

For those who had been alive for hundreds or thousands of years, a year passed in the blink of an eye. Fifty years were half a life for humans, but for nations, those years merely represented the morning after never-ending nightmares.

He still ignored his deep-rooted fear to lie beside her every night, even though he knew that sometimes, she would wake up in the dead of night, with dull red eyes and tousled hair, to call his old name in a croaked and disjoint voice, "Siam", and strangle him and batter his lungs and grumble that he should die, die, die a painful death, die and burn in the seven depths of hell. Normally, she would stop when he began foaming at the mouth, his face turned a shade of black and blue, eyes bulged out, head ached as if hit by thousands of hammers, one second before he could pass out, and he would roll out of the bed and gasp for air and cover his neck and repeat the Pāli Canon* in a breathless voice.

When his eyes had regained their vision, his head had stopped spinning and the veins on his temples had ceased their violent thuds, he would climb on the bed, rub her head, embrace her, gently call her name and lull her back to sleep. When she asked him why he didn't do the opposite, calling her Dai Viet, hitting her in his sleep, telling her to get out of his land, he only shrugged and said that he had learnt to control himself ever since he killed his old self at the mercy of Western countries.

He did not deny the fact that he occasionally thought of her with her old name, or remembered her sword, her gun on his land and felt the age-old rage surge inside him.

"Must be a relief, killing your past."

"Not really." Retrospection crossed his features. "It brings out a different kind of nightmare that kills you in daylight."

"Is that why you often smile?"

"Partly." He chuckled. "But the smile for you is real."

"I doubt that."

"So do I sometimes." His smile deadened. "-Please remove your hand."

"No."

Her voice contained no anger, but the sound was as cold as ice. He opened his mouth, trying to say something, but could only sip air in desperation. His throat choked as her grip on his neck tightened. The pressure rushed to his face, his head, his neck. His lungs burned. The world slowed to a stop, his stutters and her soft murmurs coalescing into faint slivers in the back of his mind. Light coming into his eyes dulled as they were sucked into a black hole while tiny yellow dots spread in front of his eyes. He was about to faint, and he knew that this time, she would not let go of him.

Somewhere between sobriety and senselessness, the memory of the first time she tormented him threaded its way into his head. It was a cold winter night, a few days after she officially joined the ASEAN. The stream of what elapsed that night was a deranged nightmare: just one minute earlier, she was laying her head on his shoulders and humming an unfamiliar folk song, and the next, she was already all over him like a shadow, a grotesque lunatic, a jarring reminder of their fucked up insides. The raw-boned, skinny hands had meandered toward his neck, and before he could realize it, his voice box had been crushed. He tried to shout, but no voice came out of his throat, so he shoved and kicked and punched and pulled her hair out, but she pinned him down and continued killing him.

He remembered himself crying. No, he had no reason to dread her hysteria, because he was a country and he could not die, but he was still afraid, afraid of what she would do to him next. She could stab him, hang him with a rope around his neck, eviscerate him or smash his head into a mere pulp, and no one would be around to help him. Tears kept streaming down from his eyes as his ears buzzed, his head was like a balloon that kept growing and growing and growing and about to explode, the world around him spun and an ocean of darkness wrapped around his eyes, pulled him down and incapacitated him. Never before had he felt so helpless and unprepared and betrayed. He could be wary of the enemy on the battlefield, but attacks from his dearest person in the bedroom were the least thing that he expected.

When he came to and saw her holding onto him and sobbing that night, he still felt as if she was thousands of miles far from him. When she was in control of her mind, she could still differentiate between Thailand, the country she hated, and Ekkarach, the human she loved, but when rage discomposed her, he became nothing more than the quintessence of crimes, of detestable camouflages, of ignominious diplomacy. In the end, their love never escaped the apparition of the past. He could see that terrible experience repeating itself as long as he chose to remain by her side.

He must have been a fool, because instead of running away, he chose to stay and allowed her to devastate him every night.

It was the price he had to pay, if it meant he could still be with her. She didn't have to pay, didn't have to be aware of his own wounds, didn't have to know that his hands still sometimes twitched around her neck when she slept next to him.

Her hands suddenly loosened to let air continue running into his lungs. He urgently inhaled the precious oxygen and turned away so that he wouldn't have to see her face. When consciousness came back simultaneously with her embrace, a shiver ran over him, but he remained silent and let her do what she wanted. She could not kill him. He had told himself that for hundreds of times during the nights he fiddled with the thin blanket and stared at the emergency exit.

"Sometimes I don't understand why you could love me," He said quietly. "When you still abhor me so much."

"Your crime against me," A pause. Her arms tightened around his waist. "is not grave enough."

"What if it is enough?" In his head flashed the image of certain people, but he didn't mention them. "What will you do to me now?"

"I'll disembowel you."

He tried to refrain from shuddering. "So I should feel relieved?"

"Maybe. Because we are not neighbors."

Neighbors. True. They were separated by Laos and Cambodia. Even if she did not take into account what both of them had done to Cambodia, she must have heard of the things he had done to Laos, his old vassal state. Had they been neighbors, she would have had the fate of Laos. His crimes against her would have been tripled, quadrupled even. Even until now, Laos could not be completely comfortable with him. They still laughed, still went out together, still shook hands in front of the journalists, but when they were left alone, the Laotian man always gave him a look filled with detestation and walked out of the room before they could have any decent conversation.

Humans were always easy to forgive each other. The old generations could fight each other to death, but the next generation would always be able to hold hands and be genial without feeling any trace of hatred. Yet, countries were different. Their flow of memory was not interrupted. Humans dragged them into unremitting wars, leaving deep scars in their body and their heart, and then expected them to continue being friends as if nothing had happened. There were scars that healed fast. But there were ones that took centuries to heal, to disappear, to leave empty spots in the mind upon reminiscence.

Centuries ago, he had seen her broad grin when her arrow lanced through the chest of his most respectable general. Even though he no longer felt anything about it, sometimes, that image still flashed before his eyes when she rested her head on his shoulder and smiled.

When her soft lips pressed against the back of his neck and pulled him back into reality, he turned around and threaded his hand into her hair. Moonlight shone through the bedroom window and teemed her velvety hair and round shoulders with a faint silver. Her voice was still as meek as a Hanoian autumn day even when it was croaky and trembling uncontrollably. She was crying, apologizing like mad, but her words could not enter his ears. He could not see her eyes, fiery eyes shining like amber, but his heart still tightened in his chest. When she put on her áo dài and nón lá, she was a typical Vietnamese girl, but when the clothes fell on the floor, she became honest with him and with herself. She was just a weary veteran with never-ending nightmares, with permanently blood-stained hands, with tarnished mind incapable of enlightenment.

He put aside his train of thought. Thinking was futile. Tomorrow, they would go back to their normal diplomatic selves, smile at those they secretly wanted to kill, and fulfill their duties as the representatives of their nations.

For their people needed peace, and peace had no place for the petty resentments of old souls.


	7. The Soulmate Watch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Great. Fucking great. She had just fallen prey to her enemy, and he just so happened to be her future spouse.

Short Story 6: The Soulmate Watch   
Themes: Action, Romance.

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Ever since she received a soulmate-identifying watch from her father, she had dreamt of the day she would meet him. Her father had said, when the clock counted down to zero, she would meet her life partner. It would be a cold day in Hanoi: she would wear a pretty dress and have her hair down just like her mother, and he, an intelligently vested Asian man, would approach her and confess his love to her. Afterwards, they would get married and live happily ever after.

She still retained that thought even after her parents had died and she had become a notoriously influential member of the Diamonds organization. How idiotic she was, she bitterly thought while simultaneously elbowing a tall middle-aged man and dodging a kick to her stomach. It was the day that she would finally meet her fated spouse, yet, there she was, fighting alone against a group of criminals in a deserted seaport.

Three minutes until her soulmate's arrival. She glanced at the watch and continued dealing with the men who were all launching themselves onto her. If she had a gun, a falchion or even a pocket knife to defend herself, she would be safe by now. But no; the only gun she carried with herself had been in the hand of her foolish companion who forgot to bring his. The gun fires had stopped 5 minutes ago and she still hadn't seen the fool around. He was probably dead.

Nonetheless, luck was still with her today. All the men around her were a bunch of idiots. Easily evading a head height kick, she knocked the man in front of her down with one finesse hook. Another bloke wrapped his arms around her neck, but she twisted his right arm within seconds. Darting her eyes around before launching a series of low kicks and elbows, she noted that there were still ten men remaining. Maybe her soulmate would come and help her get out of this blasted situation. He could be a young policeman who was having a detour around here. She didn't like the police, but his arrival would be welcomed here. All she had to do then was to avoid transition to ground fight-

And then the unexpected happened. She felt someone's hands on her neck, and before she could comprehend what was going on, her upper body had been grappled down and everything had blackened for a moment.

Conscious. She was still conscious. The dark mantle had been removed, but yellow dots still blotted her eyesight. A warm liquid was flowing from her nose. Blood. She staggered behind and tried to resist, but two men had gotten hold of her arms. Someone's voice came out, but her ears were still buzzing. Thai. A Thai man? A hand seized her jaw and forced her to look up.

Amber met gold. She had never seen someone with eyes so bright. Standing before her was a young, tall and bespectacled man with broad shoulders, wavy dark brown hair and dark skin. The formal suit he wore did not reek of blood like those of his companions. He swept his eyes from her head to her toes and smirked before speaking again with perfect British English:

"You are Vy? I am Ekkarach."

He shortened his sleeve, revealing his soulmate-identifying timer which had reached zero and displayed two succinct characters: Vy. Her body froze. She threw her own timer a glance and saw the word Ekkarach imprinted on the surface.

Great. Fucking great. She had just fallen prey to her enemy, and he just so happened to be her future spouse.

"You… Are you the boss around here?"

A snicker resounded from behind. She wanted to give the bastard a good kick in the groin, but her head was still spinning, and she was not in the state to fight eleven men at once.

"You could say so." Ekkarach still said endearingly as if he had not just pulled her into a clinch and finished her with his knee. "I also happen to be the head of Spades in Thailand, but introduction later. Time is running out, so please forgive my impoliteness."

As soon as he finished his speech, someone covered her mouth with a wet cloth. She rasped and jerked herself free, but the drug had already taken effect and made her unconscious. After signaling his subordinates to let go of her, he carried Vy in a bridal style and said:

"Mission completed. Tell Rai that he can come back to Chiang Mai. Now we will return to Pattaya and proceed with the next stage of the plan."

Obeying his command, his underlings disintegrated to carry the loads and contact other members of Spades. Meanwhile, Ekkarach remained still and peered at Vy's sullen face. He had known about her before he came to Vietnam: she was a rare young woman who took the lead of Diamonds in Vietnam despite misogynistic prejudices. He just did not expect that she would be the soulmate that he had been waiting for during the past 28 years. Spades and Diamonds were natural enemies. Arthur Kirkland would kill his family if the man heard about his involvement with Bonnefoy's underling. And of course, Vy would never be fond of marrying into an organization that had sent her Diamonds comrades to an early grave.

"Our future marriage in Bangkok will have to wait then, ana." Ekkarach murmured into her ear. "For now, let's continue being enemies."

Then, he walked toward a car nearby, ignoring the timer which had fallen from his wrist. He would bring her to Thailand, and if she did not manage to escape his interrogation and kill him, maybe the two of them would have more time to get to know each other.


	8. Cats and Owners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short story 7: A short story about the two cats and their owners.

Short story 7: A short story about the two cats and their owners.

Themes: Romance, Humor.

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Ekkarach slammed his notebook on his face when he heard Vy's cat meow for the nth time. Putting the math writing pad which had been worn out from constant revising on the glass coffee table, he cast a sidelong glance at the living room's window, where the two cats were getting it on, and wished that they could disappear straightaway.

The school term was about to end, the weather was both hot and muggy, the incoming mathematics exam was difficult as hell and his head was as blank as white canvas. He had worn a comfortable undershirt and gone to the well-ventilated living room with the expectation that he would be able to focus on his studying there, but instead, he had become the unwilling third wheel of the love story between Ruffle, his cat, and Stripy, Vy's cat.

"How the hell can anyone study when cats are on heat?" He mumbled in irritation. Vy would look askance at him if she heard what he said, but since she was not here, he couldn't care less.

Now that he could no longer focus on his revision, perhaps watching them mate would be a fun way to kill time. He didn't know how long his cat and Vy's cat had been with each other. A day in December, when he sat dumbfounded on the sofa with a bowl of spicy noodle next to him and thought about his hopeless unrequited love with his Vietnamese classmate and neighbor, he already saw his cat bring a female striped cat home. Introducing a queen instead of a tom would have been acceptable had his cat not clung to the other cat as if there were only two of them in the world. It was like rubbing salt into the wound of a forever-alone person. Only after Vy had dropped by his house to find her cat did he realize that the female cat was Vy's.

All things considered, the two cats made a nice complementary pair. His cat had white, ruffled fur and was rather friendly with humans while Vy's cat was somewhat distant. While Stripy indolently lied supine, Ruffle constantly licked her head, legs and tail. If his hand had not been scratched by Stripy when he made an attempt to touch her, he would have thought that Stripy was not interested in Ruffle at all. When Stripy got to her legs and left, Ruffle tagged along with his tail waggling like that of a puppy. Even when Stripy growled and waved her claws around in a threatening fashion, Ruffle would simply back away for a few seconds before sticking with her as usual.

Like master, like pet indeed. He and Vy had many things in common with the cats. His Valentine chocolate for her was received with indifference. The lunch box he made for her was pointedly ignored. His flowers during women's day were rejected with the reason that she didn't like flowers in her house. Every single effort he made to start a conversation with her was turned down. Vy almost never talked to guys, let alone him. Her reaction was almost identical to the way Stripy responded to Ruffle's display of affection.

Peering at Ruffle which was rubbing its head against Stripy's neck, he briefly wondered what would happen if he suddenly kissed Vy.

A knee to his groin, perhaps. She often practiced Vovinam with her father.

His lips curved into a bitter smile at that thought. In the end, even his cat's love life surpassed his.

The ring from the doorbell snapped him back to reality. It was three in the afternoon; his sister often came home around this time. Thus, he made a dash toward the door without paying heed to his crude shirt. Only after Vy had appeared from the other side of the door in her athletic clothing did panic collapse on his mind, and his cheeks heated up when his crush looked at his current clothes, frowned and remained silent. He was done for. During all the months he attempted to woo Vy, he had tried to present himself as a decent and polite guy. Everything was ruined now thanks to the terrible undershirt.

"Ah-uh, hi Vy-"

"Is Stripy here?" The question was curt, straight to the point, killing every one of his last hopes that Vy actually came to his house today for any other reason.

"Uhm, she's in the living room, ana."

At that sentence, Vy did not bother to reply and went straight into the house. He hurriedly slammed the door shut and followed suit. Why did she have to choose this time to drop by his house? When he came into the living room, he just wanted to promptly disappear when he saw that Stripy was lying on the floor with her eyes half-closed in contentment while Ruffle was pinning her down and biting her neck. If even a lonely guy who often befriended his right hand like him could visibly feel love in the air, Vy must have felt terribly annoyed. With that thought, he put his hand on her shoulder, intending to guide her away, but she flinched and scurried back.

"W-what are you doing?" She looked at him, but turned away for some reason. There was a red glow on her cheeks. He must be imagining things.

"Err… I have some avocados in the fridge; I can make you smoothie if you like."

"No, thanks."

Hence, they stood awkwardly in the living room… and continued watching the cats. When Stripy finally shrilled and pushed Ruffle away, Vy calmly stepped closer and lifted her cat off the ground. Stripy didn't seem to be happy with her master's action; she wriggled in her grasp and looked at Ruffle for help, but Vy didn't show any hint of guilt. Ruffled looked confounded as if he had been deprived of a delicious meal, but he had had enough experience with the merciless girl to refrain from scratching her feet. As a consequence, he had to console the ppor cat that had just lost his lover while Vy made a beeline for the door. As she was about to pass the threshold, he quickly came out with the sullen cat on his arms and uttered:

"Vy!"

Vy turned around to look at him.

"Uhm," He suddenly became tongue-tied. "Feel free to drop by my house any time."

Her eyes widened as her hold on her cat tightened.

"Why the invitation?"

"Well… we are neighbors..."

"What does being neighbors have to do with that?"

"Well," He scratched his head. Why was she questioning him that much? "You can still come for fun."

Something was amiss. Sunshine blazed his eyes, making him cover part of his face, but he could still see a red color rushing to her neck and face.

"So that you could do something weird to me like what Ruffle did to Stripy?"

Her question was like a painful slap to his face. It took a while for the implication of her question to sink into his head, and when it did, he stared at her and suddenly realized everything. It turned out that he was not the only one who could see the similarity between the cats and their masters. She had likened Ruffle's actions with his and apparently thought that if she became close with him, she would have the same fate with Stripy. Oh Buddha. No wonder why she always frowned at his advances. He wanted to open his mouth and prove himself innocent, but she already sprinted toward her house the moment the word "Hey!" fell from his mouth.

Leaving him speechless and flabbergasted in the torrid sunlight, with an undershirt and shorts and a lovelorn cat.

"Ruffle," He muttered. "You ruined my chances."

The cat apparently did not understand what he meant. Paying no attention to its bafflement, he sauntered into the house and completely forgot about the exam tomorrow. It was not that he did not respect Ruffle's happiness, but it had completely ruined his love life. He had to bid adieu to the prospect that Vy would agree to be his girlfriend one day now. That thought made him want to crash his head against the wall and bury himself under his pillows.

In that sulky state of mind, he probably would never know that just hundreds of footsteps from him, the girl of his dream was sighing and rubbing her cat's head.

"He's so silly. Stripy, come to his house tomorrow again so that I can have an excuse to go there."

Surely, the complicated relationships among the cats and their owners would prolong for good…


	9. This day, that year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Lien, who do you want to be in the future?"   
> "I want to be your bride."   
> "I'll wait."
> 
> After all those years, I still remembered what he said.

Short story 8: This day, that year. This day, this year.

Themes: Angst.

Short fic in Vietnamese by Aya, translated into English by me.

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In my memory, he always smiled gently and stroked my hair.  
\- Lien, who do you want to be in the future?  
\- I want to be your bride.  
I replied shyly to his chuckle. He was still laughing when he said that, fine, he would wait for me to grow up.  
I was foolish; I was overjoyed; I was infatuated with his smile.  
My 13-year-old self was drowned in his heart. I saw him as the world.  
What did his 16-year-old self think?

Eventually, I crossed the threshold into my teenage years. In my heart, he was still as perfect and untarnished as a god.  
In my fifteen, I grew up with feelings stronger and stronger by days.  
In his eighteen, he was at the start of a new journey, a whole new horizon to pursue.  
The day he got admitted to university, he boasted about it with me. I was both glad and gloomy at the thought that I wouldn't see him frequently anymore.  
\- Try your best, Lien. I'll wait.  
He rubbed my head, as gently as he used to.  
I gave a simpering smile. Of course he would wait for me, he had promised to.  
The day he left, I saw him off at the train station. Staring at the back that was slowly disappearing from view, I mused to myself, quick, be quick, to catch up with him.  
That year, I wanted to grow up fast, so that I could walk side by side with him.  
"I'll wait."  
After all those years, I still remembered what he said.

In my eighteen, I became more mature and stoic every day. He was still the same, buoyant and full of life. He often joked that I would age soon if I remained the same and compelled me to smile more.  
\- Smile, Lien. Your smile is beautiful.  
He said and pinched my cheeks. I smiled politely and did not reply.  
Yet, my heart was pounding heavily, and my cheeks were getting warmer. He compliemnted me, he complimented my smile. Was he finally falling for me?  
In his twenty-one, he still remained the same, still saw me as his neighbor.  
He was so detestable.

When I was twenty-one and about to graduate, I heard the news that he got a girlfriend.  
Shock overcame me. Hadn't he promised that he would wait for me? Hadn't he said that my smile was beautiful? I smiled a lot just for him.  
That day, he introduced that girl to me. I had never seen him like that before. His eyes brightened and made his smile seem meeker. He was awkward around her.  
"Oh, you're Lien right? I've heard a lot about you."  
My lips thinned while I slightly nodded.  
This feeling was horrible, more horrible than the time when I failed that important exam, much more horrible than the time when I got into an accident.  
This feeling was horrible, so horrible that I felt my heart breaking into pieces, I felt my heart exploding into thousands of fragements.  
It hurt.

That girl talked incessantly, jovially, lively.  
… What a match for him.  
My ears buzzed. The words she said, the words he said, their happy laughs could not enter my head. I was bleary. My lips formed a perfunctory smile.  
Be strong, be steadfast, you are fine, Lien!  
I thought to myself.  
In his twenty-four, he devastated my heart.  
In my twenty-one, I decided to run away, away from my country, away from my unrequited first love.  
My parents knew the reason; his parents knew the reason; his girlfriend was somewhat aware. Only he didn't know.  
He had worriedly asked why I left. What was so good about going to a foreign country? Wouldn't staying be better?  
I couold only give him a half-hearted smile, and said that I wanted to try, to have a change in my life.  
He furrowed his brows, said that it would be better if I stayed in my country. I had him, had my family, had my friends. Please stay, Lien.  
I shook my head. He was so foolish. I had been pinning after him for nearly ten years, yet, he still did not know a single thing about my feelings. And now he had the gall to say that.  
Bitterness. Now I knew the taste of bitterness.  
The summer I turned twenty-one, I finished my undergraduate program and hurriedly left.  
Standing in the middle of the crowded airport, I dragged my suitcase along and never dared to look back. There were my family and him. I was afraid that if I looked at them, I wouldn't have the courage to step on the plane.  
With my tears streaming down my face, I quickly sat on my seat, buried my face into my hands and cried.  
After nearly ten years, his shadows was still indelible, still so deeply embedded in my heart.

In my twenty-four, I became comfortable in an unfamiliar country. I had grown more accustomed to it since the first time I set foot on it. Yet, I could not forget him.  
Going home every Lunar New Year, I still tried to hide from him. I heard from mother that he had been married. In his twenty-five, one year after I left.  
I nodded, great, he must have been happy. Then, my mother asked, what about you?  
Her question left me dumbfounded. Ah, what about me?  
And I shed a tear in my heart.  
I left, promptly, hurriedly. My parents sighed and said that I could go, but I should come back when I could. I knew they were sad, and I felt guilty, but the thought of meeting him with her made my heart tighten with fear. I was afraid of being unable to control my feelings and bursting into tears.  
In my twenty-four, I was still a child incapable of escaping the ineluctable string called love.

I rarely came home until I heard that news.  
It was a cold day when the news from home reached me.  
He had passed away, his wife's voice trembled, croaky and pitiful.  
And I collapsed, finding it hard to breathe.  
Booking tickets, packing things up, filling the leave of absence form, I did everything perfectly in a trance. People could see that I was fine, but only I knew how much I was breaking inside.  
That day, I came home. His mother was wearing mourning headband, sobbing uncontrollably and hugging his photograph. His father was quietly smoking cigarettes and standing sullenly next to his coffin. That girl, with eyes red from crying, was looked into nowhere.  
I became silent. My lips thinned as I ran away.  
No, no, no, this was just a dream.  
No, no, no, this was not the truth.  
No, no, no, this was all just a charade.  
No…  
I kept running; I didn't dare to look back and face the truth.  
In my twenty-four, I still kept running away and cherishing this hopeless love.  
In his twenty-seven, he left me forever.

\- Hey, I'm here. You must have waited for a long time. I'm sorry that I can only do so now.  
I murmured as my fingers pressed against the cold gravestone.  
So cold. He would catch a cold down there.  
\- Hey, you promised to wait for me. Liar, wake up. That girl still misses you. I… miss you too…  
Bitting my lips, I got on my knees and slowly touched his photograph.  
Black hair, glasses, twinkling eyes, gentle smile.  
"I'll wait for you."  
"Your smile is beautiful."  
"Why are you going? Wouldn't staying be better?"  
\- You, are a hopeless fool.  
And I could hear his voice laughing and talking meekly, see his frail figure and feel his soothing hands on my head.  
In my twenty-seven, I cried for a person who was not my parent.  
In my twenty-seven, I cried for my cowardice and my faint heart.  
In my twenty-seven, I finally faced the truth that he had returned to mother earth after three years.  
In my twenty-seven, I regretted my inconclusive love, regretted that I could not say the three words even in the last moment.

\- I love you…  
Twining my scarf around the gravestone, I wiped away my tears, stood up and walked away.  
This day, that year, under the shade of the royal poinciana, I had bidded him goodbye.  
This day, this year, I stood in front of the desolate grave and confessed my love.  
Farewell, my youth.

Muffling winds blew away the scarf, revealing the line engraved on the stone.  
Ekkarach.  
Passed away at the age of 27.


	10. One-sided

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don't love you."  
> "Neither do I."
> 
> She knew he would say so. How matter how many times she asked, he would still give the same answer.

Short story 9: One-sided.

Themes: Angst.

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Once, their eyes met in the midst of a world meeting. Her heart stopped beating as he smiled at her, but his features immediately hardened and his smile froze. She could only turn away before his voice resounded clearly through the micro.

"Addressing the problems among ASEAN countries, Thailand will maintain its independent principles, ensuring peace and stability in the region."

She said nothing while Myanmar glanced at her and frowned. Thailand stopped, gave the micro to his secretary and wrote on a small paper. She knew that one hour later, it would reach either China or America.

Throughout the following six months, all of his calls were blocked from her phone.

Once, when they left the conference room, she turned to him and said.

"I don't love you."

He replied nonchalantly, as if by reflex.

"Neither do I."

She knew he would say so. How matter how many times she asked, he would still give the same answer.

Spinning on her heels and walking away, she knew he would not follow her. When the door of the elevator shut, she tightened her hand on the handle and slammed her head against the mirror. The only explanation she provided to the building's administrator was that she slipped due to her tiredness. She ignored her private driver's concern when he stared at the blood flowing from her forehead.

Once, she dragged him to a corner hidden from view and kissed him. He disinterestedly threaded his hand into her hair and loosened his tie. As their foreheads touched, her teeth sank into his lips and drew blood. She retreated and licked the foul taste in her mouth before mumbling:

"Die."

His arms closed around her waist, lingering, pulling her closer. Another kiss. The golden shade of lantern flower in his eyes enveloped the firmament in her mind. She recalled the Yi Peng festival they had attended centuries ago in Chiang Mai, where they had kissed for the first time.

He had sworn never to develop feelings for her then.

Her throat clogged up. She never had the guts to let go.

Once, while pressing his lips against the crook of her flushing neck, he whispered.

"Sorry, but I don't see you that way."

She understood. She understood that. But the pain throughout her body did not. She held him tight, as if wanting to cover the black hole that was eating her up, as if wanting to seek the sunshine overflowing her heart the first time she met him, but her heart had been broken, scattered into one thousand pieces, stabbing her bones, stabbing her neck, stabbing her vessels, making blood spilling all over, drowning all of her illusions.

Tears did not leave her lids, but the muffled cries of the eighteen-year-old girl under the night sky and the glow of sky lanterns echoed in her head over and over.

Once, she woke up to the sight of his fiddling her hair in his bedroom. When she removed his hand, he smiled gently and said.

"If I had been born human, I would have fallen in love with you."

She stared at him, wondering if that thought was in his mind when he sneaked out of the room last night to call America. He cocked his head, seeming to read her thoughts, and continued.

"I want to have a family. With children. Taking care of them with you. Listening to 80s songs with you. Aging with you."

Her body froze. She propped herself up, trying not to let his words reach the bottom of her heart. His voice droned on while she put on her clothes and searched for her purse. All sounds blurred. She no longer wanted to hear.

She loved him. She loved him to the point of madness, loved him to the point of frenzy, loved him to the final of the sky, loved him to the ends of the earth. She had thought that even the small horizons could not deter their love. She was so wrong.

America or China had never been able to stand between them.

From the beginning, they had never been able to reach out to each other.

Their rights to love had lied in someone else's hands.

"I love you."

In the end, those three words never left his lips.

In the end, those three words never reached her ears.

The sentence had died in his heart, died before both of them could ever realize.


	11. Married life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2p!Thailand, 2p!Vietnam, and their bizarre marriage.

Short story 10: 2p!Thailand, 2p!Vietnam, and their bizarre marriage.

Themes: Humor, Romance.

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1\. Wedding night:

Thailand: "Why aren't you going to bed?"  
Vietnam: "I'm taking notes of the Communist Party's regulations. Come and help me do it."  
Thailand: "… But I'm a capitalist."  
Vietnam: "You'll inevitably reach socialism with me."  
Thailand: "…"  
Vietnam: "Do you want me to sit on your lap while wearing Victoria's Secret lingerie tomorrow or see me take notes throughout the honeymoon?"  
Thailand: "Alright, ana…"

2\. Post-wedding night:

Thailand: "Finally done." *carries Vietnam bridal style* "Let's go to sleep." 3  
Vietnam: "… Wait! You top or I top?"  
Thailand: "Why does it matter? In the end, I'm always the one who's inside."

That night, someone had to sleep in the living room and dream of Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, with all Angels having Vietnamese origins.

3\. Ex lovers:

Vietnam: "Tell me – am I your very first woman?"  
Thailand: "Yes."  
Vietnam: :  
Thailand: "… Since all of my previous lovers were guys."  
Vietnam: "…"  
Thailand: "Didn't you also have some ex boyfriends?"  
Vietnam: "Yeah, but I was always the one on top."

Thailand suddenly felt the deepest sympathy for people he never met.

4\. Paper Wedding:

Vietnam: "We should celebrate our Paper Wedding in a special way. I've been yearning for a good fight lately."  
Thailand: "I have a great idea."

Half a day later, people could see Myanmar running for his life, closely followed by Vietnam (in a groom suit) and Thailand (in a wedding dress).

5\. Adoptive child:

Thailand: "Our house is too big for just two people. If only we had kids."  
Vietnam: "Should we adopt Laos as our child then?"  
Thailand: "Sounds fine."

For a while after that, people could hear the sounds of inappropriate swearing and objects crashing against the floor in the living area of mainland Southeast Asian countries.

Vietnam: "Forget about the whole adoption thing. I didn't think Laos would ask Cambodia and Malaysia to help resist us."  
Thailand: "Strange. We never did anything bad to them."

6\. First child:

Vietnam: "… And then, in some mysterious way, we still managed to have a child."  
Thailand: "As if you weren't the one who kept insisting on 'fighting' with me."  
Vietnam: "….. Our child is now named Mai. What shall be her nickname?"  
Thailand: "Porn."  
Vietnam: "What?"  
Thailand: "Or Pee."

Mai burst into tears from the inside of the baby cot. Thailand rushed to console her. Vietnam from then on forbade Thailand from giving their child nicknames.

7\. Letter to first child:

"My dearest daughter, you'll face the vicissitudes of life when you grow older. Maybe your future husband (or wife) will force you to be the uke all the time. Don't worry; just be persistent. One day, you'll become the seme.  
Speaking from my experience.  
Love,  
Thailand."

The next day, he received a response.

"Sweetheart, I've read your letter. We'll see who is the one on top tonight.  
Love,  
Your seme."

8\. Second child:

Vietnam: "I refuse to have another child. The amount of housework would pile up; I can't deal with that."  
Thailand: "What are you so worried about? I'll be the one who does most of the housework like now anyways."  
Vietnam: "… You do most of the housework?"  
Thailand: "Cooking, washing dishes, cleaning the floor, washing clothes, keeping an eye on our child, feeding her, playing with her. What were you doing when I was doing all of those chores?"  
Vietnam: "… I have some private matters?"

Somewhere hundreds of kilometers away from Thailand and Vietnam's house, Cambodia and Laos were groaning in pain. Of course, it was pure coincidence.

9\. Compromise:

Thailand: "How about this. If you agree to have another child, I will help you in your plan to dominate the whole Southeast Asia."  
Vietnam: "… How did you know about that plan?"  
Thailand: "You should be more careful with your computer security, especially if you want to marry someone in order to 'have an old enemy in the region by your side'."  
Vietnam: "… Alright, I'm sorry. What are you going to do about it?"  
Thailand: "You can have another child in peace. I'll temporarily take care of the 'Southeast Asia domination' business for you."  
Vietnam: "Alright."

That evening, Thailand helped himself to a cup of coffee, read an article called 'Vietnam's market dominated by the Thai' and smiled mysteriously.

10\. Anniversary:

Vietnam: "I just remembered – this year is the 40-year anniversary of our diplomatic relations."  
Thailand: "Just remembered? Do you have something to say to me?"  
Vietnam: "… Thank you for staying by my side."  
Thailand: "I love you."  
Vietnam: "I love you too."  
Thailand: "And I would love you even more if you stopped writing the 'How to be the seme in the relationship' manual to give our children when they are 18 years old."

Vietnam sighed, burned the hidden notebook, and thought about continuing writing it on Google Doc.

From then on, they lived happily ever after, with two children, a secret file on Google Doc, and a plan to take over their neighboring countries…


	12. Short story 11: Our Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Such an unrefined frankness in your answer reinforced my belief that you had never been a natural diplomat.

Short story 11: Our Sanctuary.

Themes: Angst.

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They say people find their soulmate when their intimacy lies deeper than mere passion. In the old days, so preoccupied with political affairs, I failed to understand that. I failed to understand the implications of your words during the quiet afternoons we had tea by the lake. I refused to hold your hand when we walked into the woods. I turned away from you, when you sought me in a cold winter night with torn and bloodstained clothes. You cried when you were forced to kill your brother and sister. And I handed you a knife to finish them.

"Do you ever regret your decisions?"

You asked me this question centuries later, when it was my turn to be stabbed by you. Instead of replying, you turned your eyes toward the two flags on the nearby table. Such an unrefined frankness in your answer reinforced my belief that you had never been a natural diplomat.

After that day, I sometimes would tell you about the times I got intimate with other countries. You would ask me if I loved them sincerely. I would say yes. And then, you would ask me if I loved you. I would say no. How remorseless of you to expect me to fall for a country that could hardly bring benefits to my people. Afterward, you would shrug and smile, like you had always done.

You used to be the third richest country in Asia. You used to be a pearl in the eyes of those blue-eyed countries who would never be able to comprehend us until death. However, at your core, you were just the young pirate I had fought against in Champa centuries ago, desperately covering your sadness with your adamance.

Whatever. In the end, we were just the ones who had lost our voices. In the end, the difference between intimacy and passion differed was a mere second when you hesitated before stabbing me.


	13. Short story 12: Anomaly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “All war represents a failure of diplomacy.” (Tony Benn)

Short story 12: Anomaly.

Themes: Hurt-comfort.

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"Diplomacy is severe a battle of wits." The glint in Vietnam's eyes morphed into something akin to disdain; at whom it was aimed, Thailand did not know. "Those who say that you are dishonorable should squint harder at their own failures."

"Oh?" A chuckle escaped his mouth at the irony. "You have the gall to say it now? After all the things that spewed from your pretty mouth last night – the implications, the condemnations, the bans?"

"Those are for the things you did to me."

He gave a cavalier shrug, not wanting the conversation to continue, but she dumped the stack of resolution papers on the desk and opened her mouth again.

"But for your people, nothing you have done can be considered wrong."

His hand poised on the arm of the chair. Their eyes met in the midst of contradictory sentiments – puzzlement for him and indisposition for her. She tilted her head, looked away, just as her features snapped back to indifference.

"You say strange things sometimes, ana."

"People also say that I'm strange." A shadow of a smile ghosted on her lips. "Perhaps that's the reason why I'm still here, babbling meaningless platitudes to you instead of being dead somewhere else."


	14. Short Story 14: Ao Dai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ao dai is not the same as Cheongsam.

Short Story 14: Ao Dai  
Themes: Romance, Fluff, Nyo!VietThai (fem!Thai, male!Viet).

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Vietnam glanced at the clock and continued working. Discerning that his girlfriend would reach his house within minutes, he hastened his typing to finish work before her arrival. She had never made him wait before: she would always make a beeline for his car after coming down from her private jet without shopping at the airport. Upon hearing the doorbell, he shut down his laptop and dashed to the front door. Despite being mentally prepared, he still felt electricity run down his spine when she pulled him into a warm embrace.

"I missed you." Her murmurs reached his ears, sweet and sincere, rendering him unable to say anything else besides a stuttering response, "I-I missed you too". They had been in a relationship for months, yet he still found himself behaving like an idiot around her. When he pulled away, he blinked.

"You are wearing ao dai?"

"Are you surprised, ana?" She leaned onto him, her eyes twinkling with bliss.

"Uhm, can I look at you a little bit more?" He mumbled and stepped back to look at her from head to toes. She was wearing a long green ao dai, with the color identical to his usual clothing, but something was amiss– "Wait," He almost had a panic attack as heat gathered on his face. "You… are not wearing pants?"

"Yes. I asked an acquaintance of mine to make an ao dai for me. Is this not a whole ensemble?"

Oh God, he wanted to kill whoever sewed the ao dai for her. Promptly pulling her into the house, he slammed the door shut so that no one could see her in this state. He could only hope that his private driver was the only one who did. The man must have seen an eye candy. As jealousy surged inside him, he thought about firing the man the next day.

"I'm sorry," He said. "I'm sincerely sorry. Your acquaintance should have also given you pants. Ao dai is not the same as Cheongsam. I'll find something for you to wear temporarily."

Vietnam immediately sprinted upstairs to find the appropriate clothing among his clothes. Lending her his used trousers would be impolite. When he managed to find a pair of unused jeans that his secretary had given him as a gift from the week before, he went downstairs and realized that she was peering at the inside of his fridge.

"It must have been a long flight for you. You should have a rest." He said and looked away to give her some privacy to put his trousers on.

"Sweetheart," Thailand ignored him and opened the icebox. She still looked cute in her ao dai and his jeans, weirdly somehow. "You are not eating properly."

"Yeah, sorry." He still felt a bit awkward.

"Stop apologizing." She grinned. "Let me cook you something. In the meantime, go wash the dirty dishes from yesterday. I can see them in the sink."

"I'm sorry." Vietnam scratched his head.

"If you keep being meek like that, your future wife will be hard on you."

"I'm sorry." This time, he smiled at the irony. "I know you won't do that to me."

The subsequent silence made him realize that he had just implied she would be his wife. They had never talked about marriage before. His face warmed. She couldn't have taken it the wrong way, could she?

But the truth was that he would not mind marrying her. Thailand was simple and caring. Perhaps it was the reason why he fell in love with her, even though he still did not have a clue about how she could love a stiff man like him. The day she moved in with him, he would stop being a workaholic and go home sooner than normal. If she had to grapple with too much governmental work, he would help her with the household chores, so that they could cuddle and talk about their day after she had finished. They would be like an ordinary Asian married couple and forget about their responsibilities as countries.

"You know," Thailand suddenly spoke. "I prefer a daughter to a son."

It took him one minute to understand what she meant.

"You mean… your child?"

"Our child, silly." She was laughing now. "If we got married, I would only give you daughters. There would be no boy. Are you okay with that?"

He almost dropped his dishes into the sink. It was the most unexpected answer he could think of. So she consented to…?

"Even if you want ten daughters, I would be okay." He stammered. It felt as if his coherent thoughts had been swept away. "Uhm, actually I'm not sure if I could take care of ten children at once, but whatever floats your boat–"

Before he could finish his sentence, he had felt her arms circling around his waist from behind.

"Great," She chirped. "You promised. Ten. Remember to keep your promise."

Blood rushed from his neck to his ears. He clumsily turned around and hugged her before she could discern that he was blushing madly. He just wanted to hug her forever and tell her that he loved her, but that would be too cheesy. He was afraid of being called cheesy. But he sincerely loved her. He loved her so much that it drove him crazy sometimes. If they got married, he would be the happiest man in the world.

"I'll try my best."

"You don't have to." She rested her head on him. Her soft hair flowed over his shoulder and gave him warm fuzzies inside. "Just be yourself; you'll make a great husband."

He was indeed the happiest man alive right now, even though his stay-at-home date had had started in a weird way.

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A/N:

1\. Ao dai is Vietnam's traditional costume, consisting of a long silk dress and a pair of pants. This short fic was inspired by an anecdote I happened to read: an American activist did not wear trousers the first time she wore ao dai because the one who made it for her forgot the pants. I know nyo!Thailand must be smarter than that, but I wrote this anyways.

2\. The ways nyo!Vietnam (male!Vietnam) and Thailand express their love are quite different in my headcanon. Many fans think that Thailand would be a shy and awkward guy around Vietnam. I don't think so. :3 In the episode 103 of the anime, just look at the way Thailand rests peacefully with his elephant as if they are in their own universe. Thailand is a natural feeler. He will love Vietnam in the way he loves his elephant: gentle and caring, but also straightforward and affectionate. In addition, the author has pointed out that Thailand could "counter things with unbelievably tricky diplomacy". One interesting comparison: in history, while Vietnam (Dai Viet) turned her back on Western countries and Myanmar and only retained cordial relationships with Thailand (Siam), Thailand became friendly with America, England, China, Russia and many other powerful countries. Thailand is quite sharp when it comes to relationships. So yeah, he could be nice and warm-hearted, but awkward or shy? Nah.

Meanwhile, nyo!Vietnam is rather stiff and not used to emotions. Therefore, when he is exposed to a loving relationship, emotions will overwhelm him and make him confused. Nyo!Vietnam and Vietnam are similar in this regard.


	15. Small World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She curled up in her own little world and brought her world along everywhere she went.

Short Story 14: Small World  
Themes: Romance, Fluff.

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She curled up in her own little world and brought her world along everywhere she went. Sitting in a café in Bangkok, she mouthed the rim of her cup of chocolate and thought about her cat at home. Musing over her political manifesto before coming into the conference room, she tilted her head and debated between cooking a new dish and heating up the leftover beef from last night. Nonetheless, stacking up her resolution papers after three days of work, she started to think about contacting her lover, whom she had not been seeing for three months.

"Did you have to wait long?" Thailand smiled. Still the same smile that she had seen a thousand times, yet she still felt a warm fire spread across her heart. Maybe it was the reason why she did not want to see him sometimes. She did not know how long this congeniality between them would last.

How many years had it been since the last time they faced each other on the battlefield?

"What do you want to eat?" Ignoring her train of thought, she asked him out of the blue.

"Let's see," He brought his hand to his head. "Phở?"

"What do you know about phở?" She furrowed her brows and fixed his tie. "Phở in Bangkok is bland. Go to my place and I'll cook it for you."

"Well, who can cook phở better than you do?" He laughed.

A shadow of a smile ghosted over her lips. Yes, what mattered now was their temporary happiness. The future could worry for itself. Her world was small, but for now, she was willing to save a special place there for him.


	16. Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were dreams that were so beautiful, so bottomless, so gentle and warm that I wanted to sink, sink, sink into them and never wake up.

Short Story 15: Dreams  
Themes: Angst, Gakuen Hetalia.

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I knew he didn't like me. Even if he did, our relationship would not last long. We did not have an emotional connection. Even if I pretended to listen to his never-ending rant about football, combat sports or animals, my effort would never suffice. Two months ago, he told me that he had found a girl from our school who shared the same interest in Muay Thai. I had never seen his eyes brighten at the mention of someone like that. He had to seek her out in her class at least once a day.

I knew I was being replaced. It was just the way life was. People always wanted to gain at least something from a relationship. He wanted somebody who could truly understand him. I wanted to see his smile. I rarely smiled. I just thought I would smile more often if I could be comfortable around him. His grin was brilliant. There were nights when his laughter wrapped itself around my dreams. There were days when I imagined him holding my hand, hugging me, kissing my cheek and beaming with me. There were times when I sat on the back of his old bicycle as we went home, stared at his broad shoulder and wished that I could hug tightly him from the back and never let him go.

But that didn't happen. In real life, I sat alone and frozen in my class, fantasizing about his smile while he sought happiness from his newfound soul-mate.

Que sera sera. One day, when we studied together in his bedroom, I pulled him closer and kissed him. My whole body trembled, my heart thudded against my ribcage and my hand become ice cold. He was warm. His warm breath lingered and sent ripples of heat down my core. Our lips touched for one brief second before he tried to pull off, but I wrapped my arms around him and tightened my embrace. We stayed like that for a few seconds until I realized that the warmth in his golden eyes was gone. I held back the pain that threatened to spill over, spill over from my eyes, sweep over my heart and drown the last of my coherent thought and said:

"Sorry, I just wanted to know what a kiss feels like."

He covered his mouth with the back of his hand. His usual smile had vanished. I wanted to hold his hand and continue kissing him, but I knew that I would break everything if I did so. Our relationship, my dreams, my fantasies, my piteous imaginings. I was sinking, and he, the person that I clung to, was drifting away from me.

"Don't do that again." He said. He did not suspect a thing. Even if he did, he no longer wanted to think about it. We proceeded on with our studying. When he said goodbye to me, he still hugged me and reminded me of the essential equations for our tomorrow math test. He even lent me his jacket because I forgot to bring mine and it was getting cold.

That night, I wrapped his jacket around me, imagined that it was his embrace and cried. There were dreams that were so beautiful, so bottomless, so gentle and warm that I wanted to sink, sink, sink into them and never wake up.


	17. Vovinam and Muay Thai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, I wondered if he really liked me.

Short Story 16: Vovinam and Muay Thai

Summary: Sometimes, I wondered if he really liked me.

Themes: Gakuen Hetalia, Fluff.

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Sometimes, I wondered if he really liked me. He practiced Muay Thai; I engaged in Vovinam. He liked spicy food; I liked my dishes to be a little bland. He relished in horror movies; I did not suppress my yawns when I had to be in the theater for hours. He loved his elephant as much as he loved his sisters; I was annoyed by most animals. He was smiley, friendly, warm-hearted, loved by everyone. I warded off strangers with my stiff expression. We did not have anything in common.

So, once, I asked him the reason why he liked me.

"This question is rather hard to answer." He propped up his chin and pretended to think. Hell. It was not like him to think seriously about matters. I always surpassed him in natural science classes.

"Maybe you don't really like me." I said. "You are just curious. That's it."

"Perhaps." His lips curved into a faint smile. "I initially paid attention to you because I wanted to win against you. You said that Vovinam was better than Muay Thai, and I wanted to prove you wrong. But after the fight ended in a draw, I came to respect you more."

"See," I shrugged. "Anyways, this whole dating thing is unnecessary. We can go practice together like normal friends without being in a relationship."

"Don't think like that," He patted my shoulder. "Don't people tend to have high school sweethearts before they graduate? This could be our great memory later in life. Besides, our being in a relationship can't kill anyone. We may even develop a crush on each other with all the time we spend together like this."

I didn't say anything else. He carried my bag for me, and we went home together. I suddenly recalled the first time I went to his house when his three sisters launched onto me and called me their sister-in-law. That time, I discovered that his mother passed away when he was very little. He knew how to cook. He knew how to sew and mend clothes. He did all the chores that his mother used to do and made up for his father who was always working overseas. He went to school with an eye strain because he had stayed up late to help his sisters with their homework, but he told me that he would not trade his family for anything else in the world.

My mother often told me that I should love a man who prioritized his work over his family. A man who was financially stable would inevitably have a good family. But if I had to choose among all the guys at my school to marry, I would choose my boyfriend. Him, and just him.

With that thought in mind, I let my fingers circle around his palm and pulled him closer to my side.

"I'll cook the dinner for your sisters today. In exchange, you help me do my English homework."

The warm feeling I gained somewhere in my chest upon seeing his smile might just be a product of imagination.


	18. Detective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Normally, she did not keep her male client's contact after the payment had been received. However, Ekkarach was different.

Short Story 17: Detective

Themes: Romance, Human AU, client!Thailand x detective!Vietnam.

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Detective Vy leaned against the wall next to the wooden door, lit a cigarette and waited for her client to throw a tantrum. The small motel room behind the door sheltered a stark-naked couple, one of which was her client's wife. The woman was the reason why Vy was here: one week ago, Ekkarach had sought Vy's help to find out why his wife always came home late and frequently had sudden assignments to other countries. Today, Ekkarach finally knew the reason. The naked man sitting next to his wife was not Ekkarach.

Normally, around this time, her clients would start screaming, breaking the furniture, and slapping their partners. Subsequently, her job would be preventing her clients from killing their wives' lovers and managing the negotiation about the compensation money. Yet, it had been one minute since Ekkarach stepped into the room, and it was still wrapped in silence. Feeling impatient, she peeped through the door and flinched.

Ekkarach was covering his wife up with his jacket. After the moment of puzzlement between them had passed, he turned to the other man in the room.

"Do you truly love my wife?"

Her eyes widened. She wondered briefly if she should call the mental health ambulance. Apparently sharing the same sentiment, his wife's lover also stared at him, unsure whether he should tell the truth or not.

"I do love her."

Ekkarach's wife covered her face and burst into tears.

"Then she is yours. Please take good care of her."

Vy was startled when the door swung open as her client hastily left the room. Her service ended just like that. She thought about catching up with him and reminding him that he still owned her forty percent of the payment in the signed contract, but her felicitously-timed sympathy stopped her short. Realizing belatedly that the couple in the room were naked and hugging each other, she took a picture of them and left. If her client refused to pay the rest due to his temporary sadness, she would use the picture to blackmail his wife.

Lucky for her (and his wife), when she contacted him again three days later, Ekkarach proceeded onto the payment without saying another word. Feeling that she still had more to say, Vy spoke out before he hung up.

"Hey," She paused. "Why didn't you do anything to them?"

A minute of silence elapsed before she received his answer.

"Why should I?"

His voice became more raucous. When he first came to her detective agency, he had talked about his wife with great pride and fondness. Owning a small company specializing in foreign trade, he had a great career, an slightly-better-than-average appearance and a courteous manner, but he still treated his wife with an unprecedented respect.

"Don't you feel outraged?"

"I am indeed angry," Ekkarach said slowly. "But before our marriage, I had promised her that I would make her happy. If letting her go could bring her genuine happiness, I would."

Vy suddenly felt as if she had lost her own voice. A flurry of her childhood memories crashed down on her. A promise. His father also promised that he would bring her mother happiness the day she joined his family, but he never kept his. He beat his wife in front of her. His body always reeked of alcohol, and whenever he came home, he would throw rocks and small furniture on his wife and his children.

When she curled up in a corner of the house and cried, her only wish was that her father would fulfill his long-forgotten promise at least once.

"You are doing it wrong." She stopped for one second to mull over her words. "If you are angry, call me. I know some people who can make your wife and her lover's lives miserable."

"Thank you. I'll remember that." She could hear his smile on the other end of the phone. "But we are divorcing now."

"Fine." Vy sighed. "You should find someone better."

"It will take some time." His voice was still heavy, but he switched the topic. "Thank you for your help, though. I appreciate it and wish to return the favor. You once said that your brother in Vietnam is planning to open a seafood-trading company. I can introduce some good customers for your brother."

She blinked.

"Great. I will arrange one meeting for you, my brother and his potential customers. Thank you."

They went silent, but this time, she felt that their conversation was no longer awkward.

"Will we meet again?" He asked.

"Of course."

"It was nice talking to you."

"It's a pleasure for me too."

She was the first to hang up the phone. Normally, she did not keep her male client's contact after the payment had been received. After getting involved in her job for years – a time long enough for her to witness all kinds of infidelity – she felt that she was better off without men. But Ekkarach was different. He would have his imperfect side for sure, but so far he had not shown any sign of a threat.

Bearing that thought in mind, she saved him into her list of contact and continued working.


	19. Thailand's Conspiracies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All is fair in love and war.

Short Story 18: Thailand's Conspiracies

Themes: Humor, Romance.

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"Vietnam, Thailand seems to appear on our newspapers a lot these days."

The fingers on the keyboard halted. Vietnam lifted her head, distracted, before typing the rest of her country's resolutions on regional security without looking at the laptop screen.

"Really," She murmured, wondering why her secretary suddenly brought up an unrelated topic, when the papers she and he had to deal with were still piling up. "I don't really pay attention. Have been busy lately."

It was a gentle reminder that he should pay more attention to their work, since the only thing he had paid heed to for the last hour was his Samsung Galaxy S7. He was smarter than her previous secretaries, but still disappointed her with his work efficiency. She had no idea why her boss had entrusted him with the task of escorting her to the Southeast Asian Conference, even though he had worked for her for only one week.

"You should read more news." Her implication seemed to elude her secretary, when he resumed his babbling. "Look."

Her secretary waved his phone in front of her face. She raised one eyebrow and took it from him, silently reminding herself not to bring him along the next time she went abroad.

Her thumb glid swiftly through each tab that he had opened. Thai products invade Vietnam. Thai goods silently penetrating Vietnamese market. Thai companies invade Vietnamese market. Vietnam risks losing entire retail market to Thailand. The 'Thai goods' era' has arrived. Tycoons jostle for stakes as Vietnam's buy-Thai market booms. Increased presence of Thai imports challenges domestic products. Businesses fear growing presence of Thai companies in Vietnam's market.

"So what?" She turned off the phone screen. "Each article is one or two months apart from the other. Plus, this is not the first time I've seen these news."

"The problem is, five years ago, these articles weren't as common as they are now." Her secretary said.

"What's your point then?"

"Do you think Thailand's got some conspiracies?" He took his chin into his hand. "Such as, taking control of our economy?"

"You are being delusional." She dismissed him, starting to feel that this conversation would not go anywhere. "I don't see any conspiracy. Thai goods are better than ours; it's only normal that our people are preferring the Thai. What is more important is that we need to focus on improving our domestic market, instead of worrying about things that do not exist."

After saying that, she glued her eyes to the resolution paper that wasn't even half done. If he had said that China was having some stealthy plans, she would have agreed with him. But Thailand? What could that smiling idiot of a neighbor possibly have to threaten her with?

With that thought in mind, she narrowed her focus to get work done, ignoring her secretary who was crossing his arms in dissatisfaction.

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Thailand, in a mysterious way, appeared to be discontent during the Conference.

Occasionally, she would catch him turning to Malaysia and mentioning something like "referee" or "volleyball". But then, she questioned why she had suddenly paid attention to him. Maybe it was because she was sitting right beside him, and she could not stop herself when her secretary's words from yesterday kept echoing in her head. Preposterous. She should concentrate on what Myanmar was saying. It was her turn to speak next.

"Hey," She elbowed Thailand. "Stop whining. I have to pay attention."

The said male country immediately turned to her. "Oh. I'm sorry, ana." Surprise plastered over his face. "… but, did you just talk to me?"

"No, I was talking to your knees." Vietnam crossed her arms and said in irritation. "Can't you ask a more necessary question?"

"Sorry. It's just that, how long has it been since the last time you initiated a conversation with me? Three months ago?" Thailand chuckled. "It must be raining today."

Raining in your house maybe. Vietnam wanted to say so, but then, she remembered that every time she responded to Thailand's teasing remark, he would always find a way to work around it and swift to a bizarre topic to draw out more responses from her.

The last time they talked, before she knew it, she had wasted half an hour of her life trying to convince Thailand that staring at other people while eating bananas was completely normal and not obscene at all.

No, she was determined not to let the mental image of Thailand and bananas take a toll on her concentration. With that thought, she turned her head around and pretended to stare at Myanmar.

"You don't seem to enjoy conversing today." Thailand rested his elbow on the table and looked straight at her. "The last time I recall, you were much more enthusiastic."

Vietnam glanced sideways at Singapore. Noticing that the young country had not paid attention to them yet, she stomped on Thailand's foot with her heel. Her western neighbor let out a small noise.

"If you have nothing worthwhile to say, keep quiet."

Thailand covered his mouth and lowered his head. But then, he instantaneously raised his head, regained his composure, and cheerfully continued:

"Fine, if you want to talk about something serious." He changed the topic. "I know you are investigating about Big C's affiliate transactions. Afraid that we Thais are evading the taxes?"

Vietnam rolled her eyes. "Is that the best thing you could come up with? Metro and Big C are all yours now. I don't care about them anymore unless your people violate my laws."

"You don't really care?" He smiled pleasantly. "Even when I am in control of half of your retail market?"

In the back of her head, a voice told her that something was wrong. Her secretary had said something frighteningly similar yester. Control of the economy. Could this action of his be considered taking control of her economy?

"People buy what they want." She gave an even-handed answer.

Thailand nodded. "I heard that your people really like my goods."

"Your thing is good enough." She said without thinking. And then, she realized that her answer could be understood in a less innocent way. God no. "I mean, it's firm… can be used for a long time… sorry, it's my turn to speak now."

He grinned, taking delight in seeing Vietnam clumsily adjust her mini microphone after Myanmar had finished his presentation. Singapore seemed to have noticed their conversation when he gave Thailand the usual "am I the only one who's really serious in this Conference" look.

Thailand could not care less about Singapore's attitude. He returned Singapore's stare with a nonchalant look, appearing to have stopped caring about her while whispering:

"I like Vietnamese goods too."

Immediately after that, his hand caught her hand under the table, intertwining their fingers together.

Meanwhile, all eyes in the room were on her.

Vietnam's face gradually reddened. She tried to brush his hand off without having the others notice, but his hold on her hand was tight. She couldn't attempt to do anything else, since she could risk everyone knowing and embarrassing them both. Thus, she let him hold her left hand for five minutes while she presented her paper of resolutions.

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The first thing Vietnam did after leaving the conference room was blocking Thailand's phone number and unfriending him on Facebook.

Her assistant ran after her, not forgetting to add when he caught on:

"I think Thailand likes you."

She was about to ask why her secretary knew until she remembered that he had stood behind her seat throughout the Conference. It also meant that Thailand and Malaysia's assistants could see what was happening under the table. Oh, great.

"Stop misinterpreting everything." She mumbled. "He just wanted to embarrass me."

Her secretary paid no heed to her words. He went on. "Do you think that he infiltrated our market because he wanted you to pay attention to him?"

Vietnam opened her mouth, intending to say something, but decided against it.

"Have you lost your mind?" She finally replied. "This is not some cheap and frivolous love story for teenage girls. Mind your own business."

"But that's entirely possible, no? Having your complete attention is always an impossible task."

Not with Thailand, she thought upon recalling the last time she talked… or discussed… about the bananas… with him.

"If you keep complaining," Vietnam said. "I'll fire you. You can complain all you want by then."

Her assistant's face went pale, and he said nothing else.

Thanks to his obedience, the way from the Conference room to the parking area of the building became much quieter, rendering her able to think about her Thai neighbor. She did not believe that Thailand had any conspiracy. He also wasn't stupid enough to waste his love on a stiff woman like her.

Nonetheless, there was one thing that she could conclude after today: she didn't like being bothered by Thailand at all.

She must chase him out of her domestic market, so that she wouldn't have to deal with him.

Even when her heart had skipped a beat when she saw Thailand leaning on her private car outside, waiting for her.

Seeing that, her secretary murmured from behind:

"All is fair in love and war. This guy got it."

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\- End -

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This story was written in 2016, so let's say everything that happened in this story is in the 2016 time frame. :3


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